Excavator chain construction



June 6, 1933. G A VAUGHN ExcAvAToR CHAIN CONSTRUCTION Original Filed May 28, 1930 2 Shee'cs-Sl'xee'cl 1 Jamil/0f am e @wir Var/@J5 M11/lief;

EXCAVATOR CHAIN CONSTRUCTION Original Filed May 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2 Patented` June 6, 1933 l i f wenn lTlie object of-inyinve'ntion `iste provide an excavator'chain consisting oi Aa series of likeV "elementspivoted ftogetl'ier* whereby a link` Hchain, digging and conveying buckets and lcleaners forithe buckets areforined by the seriesf of` elementsffthus connectedV With each other, each elenieiitibeing ofsiinple, durable iandinexpensiveconstrnction s A furtherobj'ectis to providean excavator loifcliain consisting of ele'inents pivoted together fioi forming ian s endless digging chain;` each element l having 'lportions of Ta bucket forined thereon, such portions'lconsisting of sides and bottom for a bucket andfaflback Whiehis lltdaptedftofcooperate with the sides and bot-` tomi` of the nent following bueket to terni a" back fftherefor,y thus inaking it l possible to closely space 'the 'digging `lnickets Lwhereby inI 1 Moper"ation they resemble 1a-Inilling cutter inV portion f aeut andthusthe outs Aeredivided between :each link` of? f the l vdigging chain lso that large cuts dolnothave tobe` taken in `order "to maintain al desired :capacity for the 2li;l ydigging and'conveying excavator chain.l o Another object is to` provide stop shoulders on the inside surfaces oflthesides `of one `bucketri'forfth'e `backmember lon the next Vbucket head to engage to preventundesirable flfibowingrof themchain underiltheustress vof d iggingn i i i .x l

Another object is to` provide an excavator i y chain consisting of a seriesof `similar lelements fjo`fa*rrangedthatWhen"theelenients pivotally' 35'ftravel over u sproeketwWheel-5elly ineterial 'from @the buckets -forniedlv ontheelements Will i be effectively discharged froin the digging chain.` M

`j` Another ebject f e7 e@ formule Boehm of` meachbucket elementen aradius vfrom the" for-i` i `Ward pivotal connection-'ofthe 'bucket lWherebyvthei backrnenuberA for the' bucket,` `when the cheinitravels over theyr sprocketa `Will sweep -`across such'ourvedfbottoin of the` bucket for 45;"bothidischarginghmateriel and cleaning the) y bucketbottom; the back being of such Width i and being positioned betweenlthe" sides of the f 1bucketfvvluerebyf italsoacleansfthem during."

tliedisehanging operationfj` f A Y further 'object 1 is` to provide Aa unitary fillustrated in iully describe in order to give a fullunderstanding of the cleaner on Figure the Vforward l and *oircleSQ*` i i On thef` accompanying drawings, "I" have used the reference nunieral 110` to indicate i generally the frame" of `an exeavusor or ditch NEWTON, IOWA; A CORPORATION or` roWA` fjnfXoj/nron onlinr fcouskreucriou .limination iedfiiey'eefieao, seiiaruuieee.' @Renewedinecjemberipi '1932; V

u; oFNnWTON, muur,"iissreuort` rro `Pensons. eoisriPANY,` oF

element `forming a link for an `excavator chain and havingl buckets and cleaners provided in the proper relation to each other Wliena plurality of the elements are pivoted together by link pinslfor forining acomplete excavator chain.

whereby` the `"objects con# `lVithl` these end other objects in View my invention4 consists in `the rangementfand con'ibination` off'the various parte 'of "niy device,`

consti-notion,` *arl teinplated fare attained, hereinefter more fully set `iol-th, pointed out innuy `claimsanl variety ofeinbodilnents, it is unnecessary to and illustrate more than ,one

invention` both i from its structural and functional standpoints. VAccordingly I have illustrated a preferred and desirebleembodiment off the invention in the accompanying drawings in which i iFigurefl `is a side elevation off an excavator inachineadaptedfor digging ditches and il- `lustrating "a coinbination chain,` bucket and construction embodying my invention.VA

o "the accompanying 'dravvingsl` l Although `the invention "issusceptiblejf of a i 65 Figure Q is a plan View of oneofthe buckets i' aSvieWed in the `direction `of the arrow 2 Figure Sis ufbaok elevationoficneof the excavator chain elements looking inthe di!` rection of'thearrow 3 on lligure4 l and show-v rearward` chain element `in dottedlines.

lingllindotted lines thei'eltive positions of 1 Figure l is avertical centralsectional view` 1'throughaseresof theelelnents pivoted tof` gether to form 'an excavator chain and show#f fing' the elements t "drive sprocket.`

traveling yover an Aupper` Figures "5,.61and 7 aredetailedsectional i views on an enlarged s caleonthe lines 51455" 6-`l6 andlf respectively'oflFigure l and Figure 8I is an enlarged sectional view off" 4the portion *off Figure 4 appearing the digging machine. Caterpillar treads 12 are provided on sprockets 14 for supporting the Anexcavatior boom 16 is pivotally mounted on a drive sha-ft 18 and carries the excavator chain, indicated generally by the lreference character A; y

The drive shaft 1`8finay be Vdriven inany suitable manner from av motor 2() whereby toioperate.the'eXcavator chain A. Theboom 16 may be raised and lowered, asdesired,pforx side plates 3 2, abucketbottom 34 and a bucketl back 36. The bucket bottom34 is reinforced byribs' 35. l.The side plates 32` are provided at their.forwardl back edges withbosses 38 adapted to receivel a linkl pin 40. y Atapered pin 42 `or aboltinaybe extended through one of thel bosses 38 and-through .thelink pin 40 asshown in Figure 3 for. holding'the pin in POStOH- r Ahubf44 is formed on rthe insideofeach side plat`ej32 adjacent theirlower back edges.

The total' length of the hub 44 is slightly less,y [than the. distance between Vthe bosses 38.`

The lhub 44is1bored .out to rockably receive the' link pin'40. y Y* .The forward--edge of each. .sideplate' 32 is enlarged and sharpened aslindicated at 46..

tonid in cutting the sidesof theditch 22.

otwhiclrwill be hereinafter apparent. A downward bulge 48 is provided adjacent the later-alcenter of thebottom ,member34 of thebucket wherebya fiat. surface for ythe insidenty a digging bladeto engagedsprof.. vided, s A crossbar 52. is formed between the. sides .32 ofth'e:bucketelement .toengage the outsidesurface vof the digger blade 5() where.-

bvthe .difmino` .strain on the blade Yiseimv Y DE) C Y parted to.. thelcrss bar52. Themibs. 35 `:beafr sidesreinforcing,the bucket bottom 34 .also reinforce the cross bar 52,.

Asshow'n in FigureV 6, the diggingblade 50hasshouldersf54 and .'dengagingasimilarly shaped'socke't bottoms 58 and .60..formed in the bottominember34 (see Figure 6).*v For holdingthe diggerbladef() in position,I p riovidefa bolt 62, the head of which is held in a socket 64 formed in the bulge 48. The fbo'lt 62 .extends through.V t portionlof the digger blade, 50 forined rearwardly of .the shoulder 56 and whichvl fltsbetween the sides of a slot plishedbyfthe.travel-'of thefexcavator chain VThebottom4 member. 3 4 of the bucket eleg.v

ment has an inner surface formed on a radius from thecenter of thebosses 38, the purpose 53 formed in the bucket bottom 34. A nut 66 is threaded on the bolt 62. Thebucket back 36 extends downwardly from the bucket bottom 34 and the hub 44, the distance between the side edges 7() of which is slightly less than the distance between the inner surfaces of the bucket sides 32..

The dimension between the center of the hub 44 and the bottom edge 72 of the bucket back36 is slightly; less than. the distancefbe# tween thecenter ofthetbosses 38 and the top inner surface of the bucket bottom 34.

Aseries-ofthebucket or link elements just described are pivoted together by the link pins 40, as shown in Figures'l and 5, their relative .positions beingshowny by. u'll :and dotted linesin Figure 3 whereby-a combina-g tion'excavator chain and'digging bucketsis provided -wherebythe elements andL pins solely constitute a digging chain, l/Vhen a series. ottthe bucket. and linknelements. are thus assembled together,.thefsideplates 32, bosses '38, hubs 44 and link pins v40c0nstitute a link chainwhile the-side plates 32, bucket bottoms 34,7.bucket backs.36,- sharpenededges 46 and digging-blades 50 constitutediggin-g-and con. v veying buckets,y the vback 36--ofoneelementtservinghlasfa bucketbottom34of the next .fol-H. lowing-` bucketvelement.

The -particular arrangement of thesimilar=y elements provides a digging chain 4in which;

y.thefcutters are close together and.one,-which.

due tos theicooperation of-thesides: 70, their lower, edge 201 thebucketz-back 36 with thesideplates 32and the .bucket bottom 3401i the".

'next' following bucket elel'nent1provide Afor.

both the conveying and dischargeoi :materiaty y dug bythe excavatorchainsv The .a discharge ,of the materiali is ac'coni:-Y

overa drive sprocket 74,asbe'stshown'f1n :Figure: 4.,. The drive. sprocket 74 yhas teeth..

76 which engage. the hubs44 for driving-.diefl other whereby the backs 36 swing outwardly',l .l as vindicated by the-arrow 78, for discharging the :materialathat :has been; dug yand conveyed' i bythe-,bucketsfand dropping it into thecliutw f 28 ;'onto;the' conveyor 30.1 j. The sidei'edgese'tl and the bottomfedg`e'72 ofthe -bucketback36 s-fwingcloseetothe.bucketsv sides 32l and the bucket bottom 34 to act as a cleaner for thezbucket as-.well a discharg- 'ing.,clevice.- Thebucketback36is reinforced 120V`A vby ribs/T1 extending to the hubv 44..I

Stop., shoulders 80 areformedon'the1 inner-)if surfaces of thefside cplatesa-32 for the lower.-

corners.v of the vbucket back '36 toV rest lagainstwhen thelchain is traveling in a straight1 liner.:12 i' 1 The coactionbetween thebucket backs `36and the stop. shoulders;80zprevents. any. undesired'.

bowing! of the digginglstretch :oit` the'rchain z;

between the drive sprocket-74 andl the'z-idler Y sprocket -82 onthelower end of the boom 16.y 1303*?- the bucket for forming a back for the next 60 abucket bottom and a downwardly .extending bucket back, means for pivoting said side "plates together, and stop means on said side"` `plates for the bucket back of the nextabove t `element to engage with and therebyprevent i Some changes may be made `in the c onflexing of the excavator chain infone direcf struction and arrangement of the parts of tion.

my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it 1s my intention to cover by my claims, any

i modified forms of structure or use of me-` .1; In a. device "of the class` described, an

excavator' chain comprising links, each link .comprising sidewalls perforated to receive link pins, said `walls forming the sides of a A bucket, a bottomfor said bucket, a back wall Des "Moines, Iowa, May `14, 1930.

GEORGE A. VAUGHN.

extending downwardly from the bottom of following bucket and link pins for pivoting said links together `and means on each link `for the back wall of the next forward bucket to engage with to prevent iiexing ofthe excavator chain in one direction.

2; In a device of the class described', an"

`excavator chain comprising links, each link comprising sidewalls perforated to receive link pins, said walls forming the sides of a bucket, a bottom for said bucketa back wall extending downwardly from the bottom of i the buck-et for formingr a back for the next following bucket and link pins for pivotingl said links together, each link having a shoulder for the back wall ofthe next forward. bucket "to engage withto prevent flexingr of the chain `in one direction.

3. In a `device of the 'class described,` an

comprising` side walls perforated to receive link pins`,said walls` formingr the vsides of a bucket,`a bottom'for said bucket, aback f wall extending downwardly from the bottom i `4o of the bucket for ,forming a back for the next following bucket and link pins for pivotingsaid links together, each link havingshoulders for the back wall of the next forward bucket to engage with to prevent fiexing of the chain in one direction, said shoulders being located betweensaid side walls and spaced fromeach other for allowingr the discharge of impacted material. f

4L. An excavator chain comprising a series of elements each including: bucket side plates,

for pivoting, said side plates together whereby the bucket back of one element forms a back for thebucket side plates `and bucket' u bottomof the followingelement, the bucket side plates of each element having stopshouL ders thereon for the bucket back of the next i forward bucket to engage against.

5. An excavator" chain comprising a series of elements, each including bucket side plates,

excavator chain comprising links, each link 

